Car construction



W. A. GEIGER Oct. 18, 1932.

CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 7, 1929 www@ ,Patented st. 18, i932 stares; PATENT OFFICE- WILLIAM A. GEIGER, vOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR IOk W. H. MINER, INC., 0F*

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION DELAWARE CAR CONSTRUCTION Application filed October 7, 1929.V Serial No. 397,796.

l@ and ineans connecting the draft sill means of one coupler to that of the other coupler, comprising a yoke-acting means iixed to each draft sill member and a shock absorbing device within the yoke means and co-acting therewith to yieldingly oppose relative separation in a lengthwise direction of the two draft sill means, to cushion draft shocks, and

wherein relative approach of the two draft i sill means is also cushioned by said shock "il" absorbing mechanism, the latter being compressed between stop means fixed to the sill means. A further object of therinvention is to u provide a car construction of the character n n 'J indicated in the preceding paragraph, where* in the connecting means for the relatively movable sill means and the fixed stop-acting means on the saine is so designed that any well known type of spring or friction shock absorbingmeans may be employed, to oppose relative movement of said sill means, without alteration or change of .said shock absorbing means.

Other objects of the invention :will more f5 clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following. i

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2 are horizontal longitudinal sectional views through the un- O derfraine structure of a railway can, illus-.

trating my improvements in connection there'- f with, Figure 1 showing the construction. at one end of the car and Figure 2 being a continuation of Figure 1 and showing the con- 45 struction at the central portion of the car.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional view, corresponding sub- 50 stantially to the line 41E-i of Figure 3. And

Figures 5 and 6 are detail perspective views of a sectional yoke member, and illustrate a different embodiment of the invention, the parts of the yoke member being shown'separated iii these two views.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, -10 indicates channel-shaped movable draft sills of a railway car structure. As shown in Figures `1 and 2,'the sills are ar'- ranged in pairs at oppositey ends' of the car, each pair being spaced the standard distance apart. Figure 1 shows thepair of sills'at one end of the car while Figure 2 illustrates, in addition to this pair of sills, the inner end portions of the pair of sills at the other end of the car.` Inasmuch as Ythe arrangement of each pair of sills'is identical, those at one end of the car, only, are fully and completely illustrated in the drawing. yEach pairv of'si'lls r has coupler means connected to the outerv `ends thereof. As shown iii Figure `1, the coupler means at the lefthand end of the car is indicated by 11, the same being connected to the sills 10 by means of a transverse coupler key 12 extending through anV opening in the coupler shank and alined openings or slots 18-15 provided at the outer ends of thesills.

The slots of the sills are reinforced by a casting lll disposed between the sills, which casting also forms a spacing and bracing member for the sills. The casting 14 may be secured to the vertical webs of theV sills in any. suitable manner and, as herein shown, is riveted thereto. The casting 14 is provided with a pocket 15 at the inner end portion' thereof, which contains `a shock absorbing spring 16 cooperating with the coupler, to yieldingly oppose inward ino-veinent thereof. The spring 16 has front and rear follower members or discs 17-17 Vcooperating therewith, the same being connected, by a retainer bolt 18. A follower Vplate 19 is preferably interposed between the outer follower 17 and the butt end of the coupler shank. As clearly shown in Figure 1, a certain amount of clearance is provided between the key 12 and the inner end walls of the slots 13 of the sills and Valso between the front edge of the key and the front end wall of they opening in the coupler shank, so that a limited amount of inward movement of the coupler with respect to the sills is permitted, to elf-ect compression of the spring 16 in buff. At the outer ends, the sills l0 are also preferably provide-d with a striking casting 20 which may be secured thereto in any suitable manner, the striking casting being provided with a carry iron Section 21, which supports and guides the coupler shank. One of the body bolsters of the car is indicated by 22, in Figure 1,-it`

being understood that a similar body bolster is provided at the other end of the car; A combined stop and filler casting 23 is secured to the body bolster, the casting having the side wall thereof spaced from the adjacent portions of the bolster 22 so as to provide longitudinal guideways for the pair of sills 10. Approximately at the bolster 22 eachk member of the pair of sills is provided with a stop casting 24, which cooperates with an outer follower plate 25. Spaced inwardly from the stop lug castings 24 is a pair of additional stop lug castings 26-26 which are fixed to the respective sills of the car. The stop lugs 26 cooperate withan inner follower plate 27. In order to brace the sills l0 and hold the same properly spaced, a connecting plate 23 is provided near the stop lugs 26, the plate having its opposite ends secured to the bottom flanges of the sills 10. The follow-ers and 27 cooperate with shock absorbing means in 'the form of two coil springs 29-29 interposed between said followers. In order to limit rearward or inward movement of the follower 25, a pair of stop bars 30-30 -is provided, the same being anchored at their out-er ends to the filler casting 23 by means of vertical pins 31-31 extending through enlargements at the front ends of the bars 30 and through suitable openings pro-vided in the casting 2'3. The bars 30 extend through openings provided in the followers 25 and 27 `and have retaining means in the form of cotter pin members32-32 extending therethrough. As will be evident, the follower 27, by engageiment with the cotter pins 32, will be Vheld rfi against rearward or inward movement.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 2, each pair of sills 10 is provided with a pair of stop lug castings 33-33 adjacent the inner end thereof, the castings being spaced a predetermined distance from the extremities of the sills, as illustrated. Each pair of sills also has a yoke member 34 secured thereto. As shown, each yoke member comprises top and bottom arms 35-35 and a connecting vertical end portion 36, each yoke member being thus of substantially U-shaped form. The arms 35 at the inner ends are widened so as to form plate-like sections which are of such a width as to overlap the corresponding pair of sills 10.V As most clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the top and bottom plate-like sections of the arms are secured to the top and bottom flanges of the corresponding pair of sills 10.

Referring to Figures 3 and t, it is pointer out that the U-shaped yoke member t #l connected to one of the sills is of lesser height than the other yoke member and the two members are telescoped relatively to each other. rEhe outer arm portions of each yoke member are of such a width that they pass freely betweenthe stop lug castings 33 of the adjacent pair of sills l0.

The plate-like sections of the arms of the inner yoke member are cut away as indicated at l1-41- to accommodate the vertical end section 36 of the other yoke and allow relative longitudinal movement of the two yoke members to such an extent as to permit full compression of the shock absorbing means with which the yoke members cooperate.

In order to oppose relative separation of the two pairs of sills l0 l0 and lO-lO in a direction lengthwise of the car, a cushioning or shock absorbing means is disposed within the yoke members 36. This shock absorbing means may be of either the spring or friction type and of any well known design. In the present case, a friction. shock absorbing means 37 is illustrated, the same comprising the usual friction shell, cooperating friction shoes, and wedge member 38. It will be understood that the friction shell contains the usual spring resistance which opposes inward movement of the friction shoes and wedge member. The friction shell has the closed end thereof bearing on the stop lug castings 33 of the pair of sills 10 shown' at the rifrhtliand side of Figure 2 and a follower plate 39 is interposed between the wedge block 38 and the stop lug castings 33 of the other pair of sills l0. Figures l to 4, inclusive, illustrato the normal position of the parts, with the inner ends of the two pairs of sills l0 spaced apart so as to permit relative approach of the same, when a buiiing force is applied to either of the couplers of the car.

The operation of my improved construction, when a pulling or draft action is applied to the coupler at one end of the car, is as follows: The sills lO-lO at one end of the car will be pulled outwardly in unison with the corresponding coupler, through the medium of the connecting key 12, thereby also causing an outward movement of the follower 27 which.` is engaged by the stop casting 26. During the outward movement of the follower 27, the spring resistance members 2929 will be compressed against the follower 25, which remains stationary, due to engagement thereof with the stop casting lVhile the sills l0 at one end of the car are pulled outwardly, the corresponding yoke member 3ft will be moved in the same direction, thereby compressing the shock absorbing mechanism 37 between the vertical end iii) member of this yoke and the Vertical end member of the yoke securedto the other pair of sills 10. During this. action, there will also be a tendency for the sills at theother end of the car to move, the same being yieldingly opposed by springs at that c.. r corresponding to the springs 29 shown in igure 1. is will be evident, relative movement of each pair of sills 10 with respect to the car body is thus yieldingly opposed durl I n y wldtlratthe bottom end thereof,v as indicated ing a. draft action and relative separation of the two pairs ofsills 10, in a lengthwise y l n "fit withinan opening 139, provided at` the direction, is also yieldingly resisted to oppose draft shocks. i

Upon a bufling action being applied to the at the lefthand end of the car, as

coupler 11 shown in Figure 1, the spring 16 will rst be compressed, until the clearance between the' front end wall of the opening in the coupler shank and the coupler key 12 and the clearance between this key and the rear end walls of the slots 13 of the sills 10 is taken up, whereupon the sills 10 will be forced to move rearwardly or inwardly, in unison with the coupler. lVhile the sills 10 are being moved inwardly, the follower will be forced reari wardly by the stop lug castings 24-24, thereby compressing the springs 29 against the follower 27, which is held stationary by the anchoring stop rods 30-30- Movement of the sills 10 with reference to the car body is thus yieldingly opposed. During the described inward or rearward movement of the sills 10 at the lefthand end of the car, the stopy lug castings 33 adjacent the inner ends of these sills will force the follower 39 to the I right, as seen in Figure 2, thereby'compressing the friction shock absorbing mechanism 3? against the sto-p lug castings 33 of the other pair of sills 10. During this action, there will be a tendency of the sills 10-10 at the righthand end of the car, as seen in Figure 2, to move lengthwise of the car. This movement is resisted by the spring shock absorbing means at the righthand end of the car, corresponding to the springs 29` shown in Figure 1. Relative approach of the two pairs of sills lengthwise of the car will be positively limited by engagement of the inner ends of the sills of the two pairs. The clearance between the inner ends of the two pairs of sills is preferably made the same as the clearance between the follower 39 and the corresponding end of the friction shell of the friction shock absorbing mechanism, so that the follower will engage the shell at the same time that movement of the sills is limited.

Referring next tothe embodiment of the end of the yoke m'embersof thetype shown irirFigures of sills, as will @bev understood. Eachyoke member comprises ktop Y and bottom arms 13541-135, .the top arm being provided-with a e rrghtangular extension 137,-wh1chforms the vertical end member of theV yoke.y As shown, the i'vertical end member 1374n is reduced; in

The. tongue 138 is ofsuch a `length that it projects through and beyond the bottom arm k135. ln order to prevent separation ofthe top and bottom arms 135 of the yoke, a cotter 1 pin or any other typeofsecuring .means may bc employed, the same extending through an vopening 1'40at the outer end ofthe tongue 138'. The top andbottomarms 135-1357of the yokeare provided with relatively `wide plate-like sections at the yinner kends thereof .which correspond-to the plate-like sections of the yoke members 34 hereinbefore described, and are secured to the top and bottomlanges of the movable sills. The upper arm of the yoke may be either riveted'or bolted in place `and the lower arm will be bolted so as to per-- mit insertion or removal-of the gear. yAs will beunderstood, the two yoke-members which cooperate withv the two pairs of sills are of different heights, so that they may be telescoped. The plate-like sections of the arms` of the yokes v are cut out as indicated at 141-141, to-accommodate thevertical end section 137` of the other yoke and allow the necessary amount of relative movement of the two yoke members during compression of the shock absorbing mechanism.

. l Byproviding the separable yoke construction illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the bottom arm of the yoke member may be detached so that the shock absorbing mechanism may be readily removed from between the yoke members, for the purpose of repair or replacement. y

l have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is illustrative, only, and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In car construction, the combination with coupler means at opposite ends of the car; of a pair of spaced draft sills connected to each coupler, said sills being movable lengthwise of the car body; means yieldingly opposing relative movement of the sill members and car body; a U-shaped yoke member connected to 'each pair of sills, the arms at the open end of said yoke member being fixed to said sills and the closed end portion of said yoke extending beyond said pair of sills and between the other pair of sills; and a shock absorbing means enclosed by said yoke members and adapted to be compressed between the closed ends thereof.

2. In car construction, the combination with coupler means at each end of the car; of a pair of spaced draft sills connected to each coupler means, each pair of sills being movable lengthwise of the car body; means yieldingly opposing relative movement of each pair of sills With respect to the car body; a

yoke member connected to the inner ends of l each pair of sills, each yoke member having top and bottom arms, said yoke members being open at one end and having a connecting end section at the other end, the arms'of each yoke member having plate-like enlarged sections at the open end of the yoke spanning the corresponding pair of draft sills and secured respectively to the top andv bottom thereof, said yoke members being telescoped; and a shock absorbing mechanism enclosed by said yoke members. A

3. In car construction, the combination With coupler means at each end of the car; of a pair of spaced sills connected to each Coupler means, each pairof sills being movable lengthwise of the car; means yieldingly opposing relative movement of the car body and sills; a yoke member connected to each pair of sills, each yoke member including top and bottom arms and a connecting end section; a shock absorbing means enclosed Within said yoke members, each of said yoke members including a separable section detachably connected to the corresponding pair of draft sills, said section being detachable to permit removal and insertion of the shock absorbing means.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing Iv have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of October 1929.

WILLIAM A. GEIGER. 

